Change of pace
by AERodos
Summary: Continuation of the end of the film. Claire and Owen struggle through the aftermath of the disaster at Jurassic World.
1. Chapter 1

Continuation of the end of the film. Claire and Owen struggle through the aftermath of the disaster at Jurassic World.

I saw Jurassic world in the cinema over the weekend and loved it! I really like the Owen/Claire relationship (off course it being Chris Pratt helps) and wish there was more of it in the film. I know the film only just came out but I'm already frustrated by the lack of Owen/Claire stories on here (though there are some great ones!) so I decided to give it a go myself. This is only my second story and English is not my first language so I apologise in advance for any mistakes. Tips and feedback are much appreciated!

Btw; I changed the ending a tiny bit, I know it looks nice to have the two of them walking towards the exit but them walking off and leaving the family doesn't make any sense.

And this does not mean I'm abandoning my other story, it's just going to take a little longer.

* * *

She stroked Gray's hair soothingly as he lay with his head in her lap. She felt numb as she waited for her sister to arrive and take her nephews back home. Around them people were crying and yells of relief and joy could be heard as families reunited. Owen had left about an hour ago, telling them he was going to see what he could do to help. They'd silently agreed that she would stay with Zach and Gray. Every bone in her body was tired. She felt like she could sleep for a week and still be tired.

When she finally looked up she saw her sister and brother in law running their way. Joy at seeing her sister and apprehension for her reaction filled her as she told the boys their parents had arrived. Gray threw himself in Karen's arms as Claire just stood still, trying to keep it together as the family reunited. They had been her responsibility and she'd almost gotten them killed. She was preparing herself for whatever might happen next as Karen looked up at her. She was surprised to see the relief and _love_ in her eyes and hugged her back as her sisters arms wrapped around her. She felt relief wash over her and couldn't stop the few tears that escaped her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Karen asked.

She nodded and her sister moved away to give Zach a hug. Claire looked at the small family and felt loved and alone at the same time. She realised how much she'd missed out on by working constantly. All of a sudden she wanted a family, she felt like she would never be able to go back to the kind of life she'd had. She thought about Owen and looked up, sweeping her eyes over the crowd trying to find him. She found him in a matter of seconds. He was bent over, talking to an old man. When he straightened up his eyes found hers immediately. The moment their eyes met she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and immediately she felt safe. That realisation surprised her. He could make her feel safe, just by looking at her from 60 yards away. She didn't notice that she was moving forwards and neither did he. They met at the middle of the pathway and for a second just stood looking at each other.

"What do we do now?"

"Probably stick together." He said.

"For survival."

A small smile appeared on her face and he answered with a soft smile of his own.

"I'd like you to meet my sister and her husband." She said and he gestured for her to lead the way.

As they approached the family still huddled together as Karen kept a close hold on Zach by her side, as if he'd disappear if she'd let go, Gray looked up and spotted them.

"Owen!" He shouted as he sprinted towards them, colliding with Owen.

"Hey bud, I was only gone for about an hour." Owen said smiling, as he held on to Gray.

Gray released him and grabbed his hand, grabbing Claire's with the other and pulling them towards his parents.

"Mum! Dad! This is Owen!" He said enthusiastically.

"Him and aunt Claire saved our lives! Owen had a gun and was shooting pteranodon's and when he got attacked by one Claire shot it! And then"

"That's enough." Claire quickly said, putting her hand over his mouth.

Next to her she could hear Owen snickering softly. She turned towards him tiredly, intending to give him a stern look. Instead, when she looked at him she couldn't stop a soft smile from appearing on her lips. Karen stepped forward and shook hands with Owen.

"I'm Karen, Claire's sister. Thank you so much for looking after our sons."

"No problem, they're great kids." He said, ruffling Grey's hair.

"Thank you" Scott said as he stepped forwards and shook Owen's hand too.

"So what's happening now?" Zach said.

"We've booked the last two rooms at a hotel about 7 miles from here." Replied Karen.

"Most people want to get as far away from here as soon as they can." Added Scott at Claire's surprised look.

(btw; I'm just assuming they're on another island or on shore somewhere close by but at least off of the actual island as everyone was already evacuated towards the end of the film)

"We gathered it'd be better to be able to have a shower and a good night's sleep and leave tomorrow."

Claire heard Karen say as fatigue overtook her at the mention of sleep. She was relieved they wouldn't have to try and get home today. It would take the rest of the day to get everyone away from the place they were currently at and she'd rather have a shower than wait for their turn to leave. She looked up at Owen and saw the same relief in his eyes, although his face was still tense as he tried not to show emotion, making it hard for her to be sure.

She zoned out for a bit, staring into the distance until she felt a rough hand gently take hold of hers. She looked down at the hand en then up until she met Owen's eyes. He tugged her along after her family as they walked towards a small bus. She let him lead her, getting into the bus without protest or conscious thought. The bus was quiet as she sat leaning against the window.

"Owen, why do you smell of gasoline?" Zach's voice suddenly broke the silence.

Claire looked up, she hadn't even really noticed it before but now she could clearly pick up the smell of gasoline through all the other smells of sweat, blood and something burnt. She could see Owen pausing slightly before answering him.

"I was running from the I-Rex and hid under a car. She smelled the guy behind the car next to me."

Claire could see his Adam's apple move up and down as he swallowed and paused for a brief moment. She knew he purposely left information out and hoped Gray wouldn't notice.

"I cut the gas line underneath the car so she wouldn't be able to smell me."

Gray's mouth opened to form an 'o' in wonder and she thought she heard Zach mutter "badass". The rest of the ride was spent in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to _Shippments4ever0725_ and the anonymous reviewer for leaving a review and I hope you like this new chapter.

* * *

The bus stopped in front of a small, modern looking hotel. The first thing Claire saw was the cue for people to go in. She still felt dazed as she got out of the bus, waiting for the rest to get out too. She looked at Scott and Karen, they looked relieved but also apprehensive and tense. _They probably have no idea about what exactly happened,_ Claire thought. She could see it in their faces, that they wanted to ask what they'd been through but were scared to find out the truth. She felt Owen's hand at the small of her back as they all moved towards the entrance of the hotel. Warmth seemed to spread through her from the point on her back where his hand touched her. She once again realised how much had changed in the last 36 hours. This was the man who annoyed her a little over a day ago when she came to ask for his help.

They only had to cue for a couple of minutes, most people hadn't booked a room and were turned away. They eventually got the keys to their rooms and left the reception.

"Thank god there's an elevator." Claire mumbled as they all got in.

Gray yawned, leaning against the side of the elevator.

"Who's staying with who?" he said looking up at his parents expectantly.

"We've got a room with a double and one with a double and a single bed." Karen said, looking around at them.

Claire looked up at Owen, their eyes meeting. He looked steadily back at her, making it clear it was up to her. She looked back at Karen.

"Is it okay if Owen and I take the smaller room?"

Karen quickly glanced at Owen before smiling softly and nodding. When the elevator let out a DING! And the doors opened she once again felt Owen's hand at her back as he led her through a hallway. They stopped in front of the first door and Karen held up the key for Owen and Claire's room. When Claire didn't make a move to grab it Owen took it from Karen's hand with a quick "thanks".

"Are you going to be okay sweety?" Karen asked Claire, looking worried and glancing up at Owen.

"I'll be fine, thank you. I'll just need to have a shower and get some sleep. We'll see you later." Claire gave her sister a quick hug and smiled at Zach and Gray before walking towards 'their' room. As Owen walked beside her she briefly thought about how right this felt and about the fact that they were walking towards 'their' room. She eventually decided that she was too tired to think about it right now. They were already at the door and Owen opened it before gesturing for her to go first.

The room was small but nicely furnished. It had a double bed, a small table with two chairs in front of the window and a television next to the bathroom door. She found some nice big towels in the bathroom and laid them down on the bed neatly. When she looked up she saw Owen standing in front of the window, he was looking at her with a tender expression on his face.

"Will you be okay for a bit while I go find us some clothes?" he said.

She had to stop herself yelling NO!, immediately becoming tense at the thought. He made her feel safe and she didn't want to feel alone. However, her rational side argued that she could take care of herself and wouldn't need him. He seemed to know exactly how she was feeling.

"I'll be back before you know it. I can ask Karen to stay in here while I'm gone." He told her with way too much understanding, threatening to break her resolve. She was fighting not to cry at the idea and felt completely ridiculous at how needy she was being.

Taking a deep breath she replied "No that's okay, I'll be fine. You go and I'll see you when you get back."

He walked over to her and she held her breath as he wrapped his arms around her. She breathed out and then in deeply, taking in his smell while wrapping her arms around his middle and burying her head in his chest. The combination of his smell and strong arms around her comforted her.

"Try and relax a bit in the shower, don't think about what happened. There's plenty of time for that later." He said.

She breathed deeply, reigning in her emotions and nodding into his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before letting her go and leaving. She immediately felt cold and alone without his arms around her. She took two towels and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She didn't dare look in the mirror and instead pulled of her now ruined heels. She looked at them without feeling as she all but ripped of the rest of her clothes, throwing them on the floor before getting in the shower. She turned the water on as hot as she could bear. As she just stood there, exhaustedly leaning against the wall, thoughts began racing through her mind. She tried distracting herself by washing her hair and then gently, methodically washing her body. The routine calmed her and cleared her mind enough to hear a door open and close. She tensed, waiting for any more sounds. Several seconds later she heard a knock on the door.

"It's me. Karen will bring some clothes by later." She heard Owen say.

"Okay!" She yelled back.

She relaxed again, finishing her shower quickly so Owen wouldn't have to wait too long. She kept her mind occupied by thinking about his arms around her as she dried of and finally wrapped a big towel around her. When she got out of the bathroom he was already waiting for her with his own towel.

"Better?" he asked.

"Clean" she said, smiling slightly.

He smiled back at her and both were quiet for several moments.

"What, no comments about my smelly clothes this time?" he said, while smirking at her.

She smiled, rolling her eyes at him. "Go have a shower Mr. Grady, you smell." She said in her Ms. Dearing voice while wrinkling her nose.

He laughed while moving into the bathroom, winking at her before closing the door. Before she'd even turned her back she heard a low whistle coming from the bathroom.

"Nice panties!" she heard Owen say.

She face palmed at that, blushing a bright red. How could she forget her clothes? It was too late now anyway she thought as she moved towards the bed, he'd already seen them. She wanted to wait for Karen to come with clothes but she couldn't stand or sit any longer, she had to lay down. She lay down on top of the covers, curling into a fetal position and facing the door.

She shot straight up in bed a while later, breathing heavily after being woken by Owen softly calling her name. She looked around wildly until she found him, squatting on the floor next to the bed.

"Sorry, everything's okay. Karen brought us some clothes." He said softly.

She took deep breaths, trying to calm down, she blushed slightly as she noticed he was only wearing some dark blue pyjama bottoms. He was now clean and she could finally see all the muscle she'd known had to be there. Looking away she slowly got up.

"What clothes did she get?"

"They're over there." He said pointing towards the chair in front of the window.

She found some panties and an oversized top which would just have to do for pyjamas.

"I'll just go change." She said before moving into the bathroom and closing the door.

Her pile of clothes was still on the floor, with a pile of his clothes next to it. They'd have to be thrown away but she suddenly felt tiredness come over her again and decided it could wait. When she was ready she paused before opening the door. All kind of thoughts were running through her head. _We almost died today. We're going to share a bed. I'm going to have nightmares. What if Zach, Gray and Owen hadn't made it? We're going to share a bed._ She was nervous and scared, feeling as though the control was slipping through her hands. Taking a deep breath she opened the door to find that Owen was already in bed, waiting for her. She concentrated on her breathing as she walked towards the bed, feeling very conscious of her top that only came down to her mid-thighs.

"It's alright." He said soothingly, pulling back the covers so she could get in.

The moment she felt the mattress underneath her she seemed to melt into it. Lying down on her side, facing him, she watched as he got on his side and mirrored her. She studied his face as her eyes slowly started to droop.

"I'm scared." She mumbled.

She was scared of her feelings towards him, she was scared of having a nightmare but most of all she was scared of what tomorrow would bring.

"I know" he replied in his low, deep voice. "Me too."

And she knew in that moment that he understood her exactly, he even shared most of her fears. Somehow this thought calmed her.

"We can survive this together." She told him and was surprised by how sure she sounded.

He smiled at her sleepily and opened his arms for her, inviting her in. She went without thought, turning and moving into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Goodnight Owen" she mumbled sleepily.

He softly kissed her neck. "Goodnight Claire"


	3. Chapter 3

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed my story! I really appreciate it and it makes me even more excited to write! However I am not really a writer and I'm just making this up as I go along. So if you have any suggestions or things you'd like me to write about in this story, please let me know. (Btw; I'm starting to notice how I write quite long chapters without a lot of stuff happening xD I obviously like to go into detail)

Okay, I've got exams all of next week and several days the week after so I shouldn't be writing now and probably won't be writing for about a week and a half. After that I can jump right back into this story. So please let me know what you think about the story and if you have any suggestions about what should happen. Enjoy!

 _Nobodyatall :_ I definitely plan to continue!

* * *

 _Knock Knock Knock_

She was pulled out of a deep sleep by soft knocking on the door. She groggily blinked the sleep from her eyes while noticing how comfortable and warm she felt. She felt the weight of Owen lying against her back and his arm that was draped over her side protectively. He moved slightly behind her.

"Hi" he said, sounding far more awake than she felt.

She turned around in his arms to face him. "Hi" she said with a soft smile. It felt unbelievably good, just lying here in his strong arms, warm and safe.

 _Knock Knock_

Two slightly louder knocks shattered their quiet moment and she slowly moved to get up, letting out a sigh. His hand on her middle stopped her.

"I'll get it" he said before kissing her forehead lightly and untangling himself from her. Claire watched him get up and walk towards the door, seeing the strong muscles of his bare chest flexing and extending as he walked. When he neared the door she noticed that he seemed tense. He only opened the door slightly at first, checking who it was. She saw him relax as soon as she heard her sisters' voice. "Hi, can I come in?" "Hey"

Owen looked back at her and when she didn't give any objection he opened the door. Karen walked in, looking as though she hadn't slept at all. Claire saw her eyes widen for a split second as they passed over Owen's bare chest. However she quickly looked over at Claire and smiled, sitting down on the bed.

"I'm sorry for waking you"

"What time… how long have we been here?" Claire said, still not really awake. She had no idea how long they'd slept and she still felt exhausted.

"It's around 8 o'clock in the evening, we arrived here at around 3." Owen said without even looking at a clock. _How did he know that?_ Claire thought, followed by _no wonder I'm still exhausted. We barely got 4 hours of sleep._

"The boys had a quick nap but they're hungry and I'm sure you are too. You've got to eat something." Karen finished quickly as Claire opened her mouth to contradict her. She then hesitated for a moment.

"Besides, Gray has been a little nervous and is desperate to see you two." She said in a worried tone, eyes meeting Owen's for a moment before looking back down at Claire.

"I know you have all been through a lot the last two days and you probably don't want to think about it but I _need_ to know what happened to Zach and Gray." She said, her tone getting desperate towards the end.

Claire suddenly felt too hot and threw the covers off of her. She hadn't even really allowed herself to think about what had happened, she definitely couldn't tell her sister yet. Thoughts raced into her head at lightning speed. There would be press and other things to worry about. Her boss, Mr. Masrani, _Simon_. Simon was dead. She'd seen his helicopter crash into the aviary. Someone had to run the park and round up the animals. Blue was still out there and the T-rex was still on the loose. The T-rex that she set free.

She didn't realise that she was shaking until she felt strong hands firmly holding her arms. She jumped at the contact, trying to pull free before she registered Owen's calm voice talking to her.

"Claire. Claire, you're alright. We're all safe. Take deep breaths."

She focused on Owen's eyes, breathing with him, holding each other's arms. When her breathing got back to normal she realised what had just happened. Flushing a bright red in embarrassment she turned to her sister who was still sitting beside her on the bed, wide-eyed and pale.

"I'm sorry Karen, I can't tell you. Not yet."

She looked desperately up at Owen, feeling completely out of depth. She felt embarrassed and guilty. Karen trusted her with Zach and Gray, they were her responsibility and now she couldn't even tell her how she'd screwed up? Owen turned to Karen.

"Let's go have some dinner first, then the kids can go to bed and I'll tell you what happened."

Claire felt torn, she wanted to tell him that he didn't have to. After all, this had to be hard on him too. But Karen needed answers, she understood that and she was sure she couldn't give them yet.

"Owen" she said, catching his eyes. She wasn't sure how to explain how she felt but it seemed like she didn't need to as he softly squeezed her hand that he was now holding.

"It's alright, I can tell her. And not being ready to talk about it doesn't make you any less strong." He said in a soft but strong voice.

"Thank you" Karen said after a short pause.

She then threw her arms around Claire, crying softly into her shoulder. Claire felt herself relax as she held her sister. She looked up at Owen over Karen's shoulder, giving him a feeble smile.

"I need to go get something downstairs, I'll be back in five minutes." He said before softly squeezing her shoulder and leaving the room quietly.

Claire held her sister until most of the tears subsided. "Karen, I'm so sorry" she said, pulling back to look her in the eye.

"No I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to worry about me too. It's not your fault that something happened while the boys were on the island and I'm certain you did everything you could to bring them back safe."

Claire could only give a half-hearted nod and hug her sister again, knowing her sister was wrong but not being ready to tell her that and face the consequences.

"We wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for Owen" she mumbled.

She had not missed the uncertain way Karen kept looking at Owen. Now it was Karen who pulled back before looking down, biting her lip.

"That's what Zach told me." She said before looking up at Claire with a slight smile on her lips.

"I was a bit worried about who he is. Zach and Gray have hardly said anything but it's clear they're putting a lot of faith in him."

"You're not worried anymore?" Claire asked.

Karen shook her head. "He just showed me who he is. And he truly cares about you."

Claire nodded slowly to herself. "I care about him too." She said softly.

True to his promise Owen appeared about a minute later with a first aid kit and a small plastic bag. Karen gave her hand a squeeze before getting up and moving towards the door.

"We're going down to the restaurant in about 10 minutes. See you there?"

"yeah, see you in a bit." Claire said.

As Karen left the room Owen went into the bathroom, coming back with a towel before moving to sit next to her on the bed.

"Hey" he said in his comforting voice. "Hey", she couldn't help but smile softly at him.

"I got you some ice and a compression bandage for your ankle"

She looked at him questioningly before looking down at her feet. Her left ankle looked slightly swollen and when she moved it a throbbing pain went through it.

"I must have sprained it when I was running from the T-rex." She said softly. "I hadn't even noticed it."

"I guess it's a good thing I did then." Pause "I didn't miss that cut on your upper thigh either." He said, looking down at her bare legs and smirking at her, instantly lightening the mood. She gasped, punching him in the arm lightly before looking down at her legs. Her top was scrunched up around her waist so she was now showing off her panties. She pulled her top down quickly and studied the deep cut on the outside of her right thigh. She'd probably gotten that as she fell as well.

"Sit back on the bed so you can elevate your foot."

She raised an eyebrow at him but decided she was too tired to object. He helped her move into a comfortable position, sitting against the headboard. He grabbed a pillow and gently raised her foot, placing the pillow beneath it. He wrapped the plastic bag in a towel and carefully wrapped it around her ankle. Owen got another towel and got some wipes out of the first aid kit.

"It should mostly be clean because of your shower but it's better to clean it with alcohol wipes just to be sure."

Claire just looked at him, nodding slowly. Her heart rate sped up as he moved closer to her without breaking their eye contact. He eventually looked down at the cut and inspected it with gentle fingers. The cut was about three inches long and quite deep, though it had stopped bleeding. She shivered as his hands touched her thigh, heat rising through her entire body. He smiled up at her before looking back at the cut and cleaning it with the alcohol wipes. When he was done he gently dabbed it dry before putting a bandage over it and securing it with tape. He then got another alcohol wipe and looked back up at her, moving even closer to her.

"You've got two scratches on your cheek." He said before gently cupping her cheek with one hand, angling her face so he could clean the scratches with his other hand. She had difficulty supressing a moan at the feeling of his gentle hands, taking care of her. She studied his face, drinking in every little detail. The slight crease in his forehead as he concentrated completely on what he was doing. His eyes. Oh god his eyes. The intense look in those green eyes were too much. When he was finished cleaning the scratches and looked back into her eyes she slowly moved forward. His eyes became even more intense and he closed the distance between them. The moment their lips met all thoughts left her mind and instinct took over. The kiss was intense. She was eager, he gentle. His hand was still on her cheek and soon both his hands were cradling her face. He finally pulled away and they looked at each other, breathing heavily. They just sat there for a couple of moments.

"Whoa" was the first brilliant thought she came up with.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead before smiling and getting up. He carefully took the ice off of her ankle.

"How does your ankle feel?"

Her mind was still replaying their kiss and she honestly couldn't begin to tell him how her ankle felt. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and carefully stood up on one foot before experimentally putting some pressure on her injured ankle.

"It feels alright, thank you." She said, smiling up at him, trying to convey how thankful she is for all his help.

"Good. I'll get changed in the bathroom. Let me know when you're ready." He said before getting her clothes and putting them on the bed beside her and then moving into the bathroom with his own clothes and closing the door.

She sat back down, still feeling dazed, and moved a hand up to touch her lips. _Ooh she was falling hard_ , she thought before pulling of her top and starting to get ready for dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

Oke, I know I said that I wouldn't update for another week and a half but I couldn't stop myself (whoops xD).

Thank you so much for all of your support and I'm thrilled that you all seem to like it. Someone suggested that the kids walk in on Owen and Claire kissing and I think I might just use that at some point (in a tasteful way though).

Two things;

1\. I was having some trouble deciding on words and spelling (English vs. American) and finally decided on English (I couldn't get myself to write fries in this chapter so avoided the word altogether). I know most of my readers are American, I hope it doesn't bother you guys.

2\. While writing this chapter I found myself writing Owen more as Chris Pratt. I've clearly been watching too many interviews again. I'm finding it difficult to stay true to the characters (we don't know much about them to begin with) but I hope I can do it.

Enjoy!

* * *

Karen had gotten them some basic clothes. They weren't the most charming but they fit and that was all that mattered at the moment. Owen was now wearing dark blue jeans with a basic white shirt with short sleeves that showed off his muscular arms. He had a long cut on one arm that he'd assured her he'd cleaned thoroughly before they left their room. She was also wearing a basic white, short sleeved t-shirt with grey capri pants underneath. She'd chosen not to wear any shoes as her ankle hurt enough without them and he was also shoeless as Karen hadn't known which size to get him. They looked like a right pair, walking towards the restaurant in their mismatched clothes, on their socks and him supporting her as she had trouble putting all her weight on her left leg.

When they finally got to the restaurant the rest of her family was already there. The restaurant was small and modern like the rest of the hotel and luckily, nearly empty. Gray saw them first and jumped up immediately, throwing himself against Claire in a tight hug. She almost toppled over because she was unsteady on her ankle but luckily Owen still had his arm around her and steadied them. Gray then let go and attacked Owen, wrapping his arms around his middle and burying his head in Owen's chest. She hobbled over to the table and sat down next to Zach, playfully bumping his shoulder with hers, getting him to smile at her.

"What's wrong with your leg?" Zach said, his smile now replaced by a frown. At this Karen and Scott also looked up at her. All of their gazes made her uncomfortable. Being vulnerable and weak in front of Owen was a whole new experience and something that had only just happened. She generally didn't show weakness to anyone, let alone in front of a group.

"It's okay I just sprained my ankle. I just had some ice on it and it'll be fine." She assured them.

When she looked back at Owen and Gray her breath caught in her throat. Owen was squatting in front of Gray talking to him softly with a hand on his shoulder. She couldn't hear what they were saying, nor could she see Gray's face but she saw Owen wipe Gray's face as though wiping away tears before smiling at him and patting his shoulder. _He's amazing with kids_ , she added to her list of things she knew about him. She also got a better understanding of Karen's nervousness. It looked like Gray was already depending on Owen quite a lot if he cried in front of him after being apart for only a couple of hours. She looked at Karen and Scott, they were both watching Owen and Gray worriedly. When she looked back over her shoulder they were just approaching the table. Grey's eyes were still a bit wet but he looked determined and smiled at her. He promptly sat on the chair closest to Claire. Owen greeted everyone before turning to Claire and putting a hand on her upper back.

"I'm just going to go get some more ice."

"No, Owen you don't have to." She said quickly, not being used to people caring for her at all.

"I know, but I want to." He said before moving his hand slightly over her back, like a caress. He smiled at her, blinked conspiratorially at Gray and walked towards some doors which she assumed led to the kitchen.

"Aunt Claire, you can put your foot up on this chair." Gray said seriously, patting the space behind where he sat on the chair. "Owen said you have to keep your foot elevated to keep the swelling down." (I'm imagining the shoarma scene after the credits of the Avengers movie in my head)

"Owen told you that, did he?" she asked him, smiling. _Smart of him to give Gray a job to do and take his mind of things,_ she thought.

"Yep. He also said that you're too stubborn for your own good." He said seriously.

She heard Karen snicker from across the table and smiled up at her.

"Ssst, you weren't supposed to tell her that part!" she suddenly heard Owen say from just behind her. He put a rolled up towel on the table and ruffled Gray's hair.

"So are you going to let me sit next to your aunt?" He asked Gray who pretended to think about it before smiling and shaking his head.

"Okay then, you asked for it." Owen said before grabbing Grey's sides and tickling him, making him double over and squeal with laughter.

Claire couldn't help but smile as she saw their joy. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she looked at Owen and for a moment she could almost pretend like nothing bad had happened. Owen stopped his tickling and lifted Gray up, depositing him in the chair next to the one he'd been sitting in. He quickly, but carefully, moved onto the chair next to Claire.

"Good job buddy." He said, motioning towards Claire's foot, now at his back.

"I knew she'd listen to you." He winked at Gray before turning to smirk at Claire. She lightly punched his shoulder as a waiter arrived at their table. They all ordered their drinks and received a menu. As the waiter left Owen turned around and put the rolled up towel with ice on her ankle. Again his touch shot sparks up all through her body and made goose bumps appear on her leg.

"This okay?" he asked her as he lightly held the towel whilst turning so he was facing the table again.

She nodded, murmuring "thank you".

They both directed their attention back to the table where Gray was sprouting out facts on sea creatures that were on the menu.

"Lobsters can live up to 50 years. Lobsters have blue blood. A shrimp's heart is in its head. Shrimp can only swim backwards. Fish don't have eyelids so they can never close their eyes."

She smiled at his enthusiasm and looked at her menu for a moment. She decided on a vegetarian salad, not even wanting to think about eating something that was once alive. After putting down her menu she turned to look at Zach. He was focussed on his menu, every once in a while looking up at Gray for a moment. She felt sad and proud at the same time as she looked at him. He was a moody and difficult teenager not two days ago. Now he'd seen and experienced things no one should ever have to. He'd had to look after his little brother through all of it and had done an amazing job. He looked tense, but he smiled a genuine smile at Gray's rambling.

"What are you having?" she asked him.

"I'll think I'll have the spareribs."

"Good idea Zach, I think I'm going to join you on that one." Owen said from her other side. After they'd all gotten their drinks and ordered Claire sat back in her chair and looked around the table. Everyone was chatting and this could almost be a normal dinner, after a normal day if it weren't for the fact that everyone seemed tired and on edge. They were talking about safe topics; the menu, how Zach had taken the single bed upstairs and Gray had made himself a bed on the floor from extra pillows and blankets. Owen kept Zach and Gray talking, looking at her from the corner of his eye every now and again. She found it increasingly hard to join in and smile as a sombre mood came over her.

She'd just zoned out when she felt Owen's hand on her leg, bending it a bit and then moving her ankle to his lap. She raised her eyebrows at him questioningly.

"It was starting to freeze my back."

She was glad they were sitting at a high table and no one could really see as he took the towel off of her ankle and carefully grabbed her foot, turning it around in small circles. He put it back down in his lap and left the ice off until the food arrived five minutes later.

Everyone was quiet as they tucked in. She still didn't really feel hungry and slowly nibbled on her food. She could see Karen doing the same as the guys all ate hungrily. Gray had chosen spareribs too (Claire suspected he was copying Owen) and he and Owen were having what looked like a competition. That is, until Karen reprimanded him for his bad manners. Owen looked like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and immediately straightened up, eating in a more civilised manner. When he looked around to see if she had noticed Claire couldn't help but smirk at him.

Once they'd finished eating they all sat for a while longer, finishing their drinks. Owen had cleaned his hands and had one of them on her lower leg, brushing soft circles on her skin with his thumb. Her eyes were starting to droop as Scott suggested they go back up to their rooms. He went to pay the check as they all slowly got up. Owen put his arm around her and positioned her arm over his shoulders so he was supporting her.

"Owen, I can walk on my own." She protested before she'd even tried.

"Your ankle's going to be stiff from the ice Ms. Dearing." He replied, causing her to roll her eyes.

She was secretly glad he'd insisted on helping her when she found out that he was right. _Off course he was,_ she thought. She was just too stubborn to admit it. As they got off the elevator on their floor Owen spoke up.

"Kids I'm just going to speak to your mom so Claire's going to stay with you for a bit."

Claire tensed, now fully awake and alert. Zach's head swivelled around. He looked at his mom for a moment and then said "I'm coming too, Owen wasn't there for all of it."

Karen immediately said no. However, Zach turned to Owen and they looked at each other for a moment before Owen turned to Karen.

"I think it might be a good idea, good for him too."

Claire could see her sister considering it. Uncertain but fuelled by her desire for information she finally agreed.

"Come on Gray" Claire said "You can stay with me in our room."

Gray followed her and Owen to their room where Owen helped her onto the bed before giving her a kiss on the forehead and turning to leave.

"Owen, wait." She said, grabbing his hand and holding it in both her own. They looked at each other and the tension she saw in his face made her stomach clench. She wished Gray wasn't in the room with them so she could speak with him openly.

"You don't have to, if you're not ready. I mean, I could" she stumbled over her words.

"I'll be alright, I've got some experience with this sort of thing."

She clung to his hand, again feeling stupid for feeling needy, not wanting him to leave. Even less so because she knew he'd be going through a hard time telling her sister about what happened while she'd be across the hall, lying in bed. She finally squeezed his hand and let go.

"Thank you" she murmured and he smiled softly at her before ruffling Gray's hair and leaving the room.

As soon as he left she felt empty. But then mentally reprimanded herself. Gray was here with her and she could be without Owen for a bit. She realised she hardly even knew him, none of them did. _Then why did it feel like she'd known him for years?_ She pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She sat on the bed with her back against the headboard and patted her lap. Gray put his head in her lap like he'd done while they were waiting for his parents and they started talking. She had a strong desire to get to know him better and asked him all about his favourite movies, his friends and what school was like. She learnt that he mostly watched documentaries, some about dinosaurs and that he'd jumped a class because he was so clever. Because of this most of his classmates had girlfriends and talked about things he wasn't interested in. She listened and asked more questions, all the while stroking his hair, until he finally fell asleep.

As Gray slept she finally allowed her thoughts to drift a bit, careful not to think about the worst memories. She thought about Owen and their bantering on the day that she came to ask him to look at the paddock. She then thought about how he had looked at her in bed earlier today and how he'd opened his arms for her to snuggle close to him. She recalled how natural it felt to be with him now. The thought of being without him scared her and felt completely impossible. She did feel like they'd known each other for years, technically they had but they'd barely spoken or seen each other during that time. His presence already felt familiar and comforting. She guessed Zach and Gray probably felt the same. _Near death experiences and trauma will do that to you_ , her brain provided.

It was another half an hour before the door softly opened and Owen and Karen walked in. Karen immediately rushed to the bed, carefully sitting down and wrapping her arms around Claire. Claire wrapped her free arm around her while looking at Owen. He looked completely worn out, like he could fall asleep while standing at the side of the bed. At her questioning look he gave her a feeble smile that looked more like a grimace. Claire's attention was brought back to Karen as she let go and softly kissed Gray's head and stroked his hair. She'd obviously been crying and she could see the toll the new information was taking on her.

"He looks so peaceful." She said, looking down at Gray's sleeping form.

"I'll take him to your room so you don't have to wake him up." Owen said before stepping forward.

"Thank you, Owen." Karen said before moving off the bed to give him room.

Owen leant one knee on the bed, bending down to pick Gray up. When he had him securely in his arms Claire reached over to kiss Gray's curls.

"I'll be right back." Owen said as he stood up and moved towards the door. Gray mumbled and shifted a little in his arms, wrapping his arm around Owen's neck and burying his head in the crook of his neck. "Hey Owen." He mumbled, still mostly asleep.

"Hey kid, go back to sleep." She heard Owen murmur back as they disappeared out the door.

She turned to Karen who was now looking at her with a watery smile on her face. "You've found a good one." She said, before bidding her goodnight and going to her own room.

Claire got up, grabbing her oversized top again and went into the bathroom to change and get ready for bed. She heard Owen come in a minute later and calling out her name.

"I'm in here" she replied as she pulled her 'pyjama' on. He knocked on the door and walked in with his pyjama bottoms after her soft "Come in". They brushed their teeth in silence, while looking at each other in the mirror. His eyes were sad and he looked away when she looked at him concerned. He slowly, hesitantly moved a bit more forward until his chest was touching the side of her back. He tentatively snaked his arm around her middle, placing his hand on her flat stomach. She sensed that he was in a vulnerable place and needed her to ground him. She heard and felt him exhale shakily before looking back at her in the mirror. She moved her left hand over his, placing her fingers in between his on her stomach.

They'd spent much longer brushing their teeth than they normally would but neither wanted to break their moment. Before long she was in bed while he was in the bathroom getting changed. When he got in bed beside her a minute later she didn't ask him how his talk with Zach and Karen had gone, nor if he wanted to talk about how he felt. She just held him as his shaky breathes slowly became even and they both fell into a uneasy sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

FREEDOM! I finished my last exam yesterday so now I'm back to writing. I'm sorry this chapter is a little short. I think I need some time to get back into it, I'll try and post a longer chapter tomorrow.

I need your opinion and ideas about something:

What should I do about Blue? Obviously Owen is very close to her but what really surprised (and slightly shocked) me in the film was how he ordered two of the other three raptors to attack the indomnious towards the end without any hesitation. I've had animals all my life and I can't imagine ever ordering an animal or a friend to possibly kill themselves like he did. But then again he was in the navy so he probably has some more experience with situations like that. The point is, I don't know what should happen with her.

In this chapter I'm making a start with the media circus. I don't really know about all the rules and everything that would happen in a situation like this. Nor do I know anything about the legal issues involved. I'm doing some research and trying to make it realistic though.

Thank you so much for all your reviews and to everyone who follows and favorited my story.

 _EchelonTheory_ : Thank you for your review, that's exactly what annoys me about a lot of fanfiction and I'm glad that you like my writing.

 _CrystallurvesFT_ : Thanks for pointing out the 'restless sleep' part, I've changed it ;)

Enjoy!

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It was close to noon when Claire woke up. Sometime during the night they had changed positions, from her holding him to him holding her. He once again had his arm wrapped around her from behind and she could only marvel at how safe this made her feel. She moved a hand towards his on her stomach and lightly traced her fingers over his skin. She took her time taking in every little scratch and scar on his hand. His hands were big, rough and callused, the complete opposite of her dainty hands with soft and pale skin.

When she finally threaded her fingers through his he squeezed her hand softly, surprising her. When she turned around slightly in his arms it was to see him looking back at her.

"Morning" he said in his deep voice, slightly rough from sleep.

"Good morning" she murmured back. "Did you sleep well?"

He replied with a non-committal grunt as she turned around complete so they were now facing each other. He looked down at their hands as he grabbed both of hers in his. He brought them up to his face and kissed the back of her hands. He looked worried and she thought she knew what he was worried about. She'd spent some time thinking last night after Gray had fallen asleep and concluded that she had to do her best to help Owen and at least keep it together until all the media frenzy that was sure to come had died down.

"Owen, talk to me." She said softly, her tone somewhere between questioning and commanding.

He looked up at her slightly surprised for a moment before looking down at their intertwined hands again. It took him a minute to look back up at her and answer.

"I'm worried about Blue." He confessed, almost looking like a concerned parent.

"Do you think she can survive on her own?" Claire asked, genuinely worried herself and trying to get him to talk.

"She can hunt and take care of herself but she's wounded and the t-rex is still on the loose."

She could tell that there was something else that was bothering him and silently asked him to continue.

He took a deep breath before confessing his biggest fear. "It's generally thought that velociraptors were solitary animals that might have hunted in small groups in some cases. But she's always had her sisters and me around. She's never been alone. I just don't know how she'll respond. I don't know what to do."

Claire bit her lip, resignation and fear bubbling up inside her. She knew he'd have to go back and that terrified her.

"I think you should go check up on her, at least see how she's doing. And then you can go from there." She said trying to sound strong, hoping it would calm him.

It didn't have the desired effect, instead of becoming calm he now looked torn. He avoided her gaze, clearly trying to hide his emotions from her. He let go of her hands and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Her heart beat frantically in her chest, anxiety rising, as sat up and grabbed his arm to stop him. His muscles were tense and it was clear he was holding something back. She softly called out his name when he didn't turn around to face her.

"I don't want to leave you." He almost whispered before turning slightly and looking her in the eye.

"I'm going with you." She replied instantly, surprising even herself.

He looked stunned for a moment, then relief quickly passed over his face before it settled on a look of concern.

"Claire, are you sure?" He asked while holding her hands again and looking her in the eye with such intensity that she had to take a deep breath before answering him.

"Where you go, I go. I don't want to leave you either."

She wasn't ready to tell him how the thought of leaving him terrified her or how his strong arms and comforting presence were the only thing stopping her from falling apart. She wasn't ready to tell him that nobody had ever made her feel as safe as he did but she tried her best to show him by putting as much emotion into her words as she could.

The utter relief and slight joy on his face told her he understood at least part of what she was trying to tell him. He reached out for her, wrapping her tightly in his arms. She let out a shaky breath and sagged into him. To her surprise tears started forming in her eyes and she let them roll down her face as he softly shushed her, lying them both back down on the bed. He lay down on his back, pulling her into his side. She lay her head on his chest and allowed him to wipe away her tears. 

They had been dozing for about half an hour when there was a knock on the door followed by Gray's voice.

"Aunt Claire! Owen!"

She smiled up at Owen before giving him a quick kiss on his chest where her head had been and getting up to open the door for Gray. The moment she opened the door he rushed in to hug her. He then leaped onto the bed, bouncing slightly on his knees.

"Owen you have to get up! Zach and I have got a surprise!"

Claire couldn't stop the slight smile creeping up on her face as she looked at Gray. Moments later Zach appeared at her side, bumping her shoulder with a grin on his face. She smiled back at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

He nodded.

"I'm alright. Gray woke up from a nightmare but then I let him sleep in my bed with me and he was fine." He murmured softly so Gray wouldn't hear.

She patted him on the back before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. She then turned towards the bed where Owen was pretending to be tired and Gray was tickling him to try and get him to get out of bed. Claire couldn't help but laugh out loud when Gray found a spot on Owen's side that made him yelp and squirm when he tickled him there. That finally convinced Owen to let Gray drag him out of bed and towards the door. When they passed her and Zach she raised an eyebrow at Owen.

"Very manly." She told him seriously.

He responded by poking her in the side and then grabbing her hand, dragging her along. She struggled half-heartedly.

"Hold on guys, I need to get changed!"

"No need." Said Zach from behind her.

He'd grabbed their room key and followed after them, closing the door. Owen wrapped his arm around her so she could lean on him as Gray dragged them all the way to their room and opened the door with a flourish.

"Tadaaaa!" he said, gesturing into the room.

There was a blanket on the floor with a complete breakfast/lunch on it and cushions all around it.

"We're having a picnic!" Gray said enthusiastically.

"Gray wanted to surprise you but the picnic was Zach's idea." Said Scott as he walked into the room.

"It's a great idea guys!" Owen said, clapping Zach on the back and ruffling Gray's hair.

"Mum's gone to get some more stuff but she should be back soon and she said we could start without her." Gray said as he and Zach sat down on the pillows around the blanket.

Owen gently squeezed her side and helped her settle down on a couple of pillows. They all tucked in and once again Owen was a complete gentleman. Asking her what she wanted to drink and then filling her mug with hot water for tea, grabbing things for her that were just out of her reach. As they ate she realised how hungry she actually was. She guessed that it was a good sign that her appetite was back. She'd just started on her second sandwich when there was a knock on the door and Scott stood up.

"That must be Karen." He mumbled before moving to open the door.

Claire didn't really pay attention to the sound of voices behind her but she definitely noticed when Owen stiffened slightly beside her. She looked up at him just as Scott came back into the room.

"There's someone here who's looking for you two. He says he's from Masrani Corporation."

Claire's breathing hitched and she swivelled around to look at Owen, seeing her own fears reflected in his eyes. 

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you think I should do about the situation with Blue. I'd also love to hear what you think about this story and about other ideas and suggestions you might have._


	6. Chapter 6

I'm sorry for the delay! I've had a really hectic week; I finished my exams, moved houses and started two new jobs. This chapter is quite short still but only because I was desperate to post something to let you know I haven't abandoned this story.

Thank you all so much for your support! I love reading your reviews and knowing that people out there like my story. Every favourite, follow and especially review stimulate me to continue writing and try to improve.

And thank you for all your ideas on what to do about Blue. Special thanks to _Johijoha_ , I'd never thought about it like that before and your perspective really helped me. Thanks!

I've gotten some comments on unrealistic behaviour in this story. This is something I've been struggling with as the story has progressed. I started this on a whim and didn't think it through which means that I now wish I'd done some things differently but I can't change them now so I'm trying to make the best of it.

I know the relationship between Owen and Claire has progressed (unnaturally) fast but it's too late to change now. However I do think it would be possible for Claire to be this dependant on Owen. I think that she probably craves human contact because she hasn't allowed herself that for years. As a result it might be realistic for her to feel like she can't be without Owen once she's finally let him in. And about the rating, I considered changing it to T but I do think I'll write some more romantic stuff later on so then I'd have to change it back again. I'm just going to leave it as it is but you can expect more m rated chapters in the future.

Again, I don't know much about the legal and media side of things and I haven't got a clue where a press conference would be held in the US. Therefore I'm just making some stuff up and I hope it's all kind of believable.

Enjoy!

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Claire's mind was reeling. A representative from Masrani Corporation had just given her and Owen a brief update on what was going on with the park and had informed them that a press conference was being organised for the next day. Masrani Corp wanted Owen and Claire to attend and give an explanation on the I-rex and on what had happened during the incident.

She had known somewhere in the back of her mind that this would happen, that they would have to talk about the incident to the public, but she'd tried her hardest not to think about it. The moment the representative had started telling them the news, instead of her assistant Zara, the fact that she had died hit her as if she'd just heard the news. She'd tried pushing all the emotions back during the talk, determined not to break down in front of a stranger.

There were so many thoughts running through her mind that she'd tried to ignore and as soon as Owen had shown him out the door she felt tightness in her chest, the same as she'd experienced the day before. Her head was spinning and her breaths came in short gasps. She felt like she was drowning, being pulled further and further down under water. She tried to struggle against the hands that pushed her head down but her movements were slow and sluggish, her limbs too heavy to move. Blood rushed through her ears for several moments before her breathing got easier, the tightness in her chest starting to lessen. She sat like that for several minutes, on the side of the bed with her head between her knees, Owen's hand rubbing comfortingly on her back.

When she felt confident that she wouldn't fall over she stood up and walked towards the window without looking at Owen. Shame, fear and anger rose inside of her. She had no right to be weak after what had happened. And this was the second time she'd had a panic attack in less than 24 hours, both of them in front of Owen.

"Claire" his gentle voice came from behind her.

She crossed her arms over her chest in response. She didn't think she could handle him being nice to her again, she didn't want him to.

"Claire" he said after several moments when she refused to answer him. His tone was now firm, commanding her to acknowledge him.

 _I should make a list, start preparing for tomorrow. 1: I have to go shopping, I've got nothing to wear. 2: write down what happened, make a speech._ She thought, focussing on anything but Owen.

"Hey!" He almost shouted. His tone the same as she'd heard him use with the raptors when they weren't listening to him.

His voice made her jump and she whipped around to face him, clenching her hands into fists at her side. She glared at him while he only looked back at her with a calm but serious expression on his face. They stayed like that for several moments, a battle of wills. Claire tense, trying to keep it together and not explode while he sat frustratingly calm and silent on the bed. Tense silence hung around them until she couldn't take it anymore.

"How the FUCK am I supposed to do a press conference tomorrow when I can't even think about what happened without having a frickin panic attack!" She all but screamed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"How am I supposed to tell the world that hundreds of people died because I didn't listen to you and I made the wrong decisions?" She was pacing now, gesturing wildly.

"And this _representative_!" She spat out the word. "Zara should have been here to tell us that! But she's gone because of me. I ordered her to look after Zach and Gray. I should have been with them!"

"Would it have made a difference?"

She stopped in her tracks, looking at Owen who still seemed frustratingly calm. He looked at her expectantly when she didn't answer him immediately.

"Of course it would've! If I'd have listened to you and sent them in with lethal weapons none of this would have happened! And If I'd have just taken the time to be with Zach and Gray Zara wouldn't"

"Zara wouldn't what? Wouldn't have gone outside? Wouldn't have been in the park?"

He'd thrown her off balance mid-rant and she tried to hold onto her train of thought but she could feel it slipping away from her. She spluttered, trying to come up with a good response.

"She went outside to find them! If I'd have been with them"

"You wouldn't have been with them. You would have to have been there to handle the Indomnious situation. And you weren't the only one calling the shots. Even if you'd chosen to use lethal weapons you don't know if Masrani would've agreed. He wanted to keep the Indomnious alive."

Claire could feel her anger slowly disappearing and some of the tension left her body.

"There's no point in going over all the what if's. What happened happened and there is not one person who is solely responsible."

She didn't want to admit that he had a point and she stubbornly tried to come up with arguments to prove him wrong. Her thoughts were jumbled and she was trying to make sense of them. She was so distracted that she didn't see Owen walk up to her. She jumped slightly as she felt his hands on her face. He held them over her eyes, firmly stroking the creases on her forehead with his thumbs. She tried to fight the relaxing feeling, not ready to give in yet, but she could feel her resolve crumbling.

"We can go over everything once we get to Karen and Scott's. For now let's just focus on getting ready."

She looked up at him questioningly.

"Wheels up in three hours. Go on and take a shower."

He removed his hands from her face after one last, lingering stroke. She nodded, her eyes now drooping. She felt exhausted again as she gathered her clothes and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. 

They arrived in Los Angeles late in the evening. The flight had been quiet as most people had been asleep. Karen and Scott had told Owen and Claire they could stay at their house for as long as they needed since neither of them had a house off of the island. That evening found them sitting cross legged in the guest room of the Mitchell house.

Claire had borrowed Zach's laptop to do some research on press conferences and made a _very_ detailed list of the kind of questions they could be asked and how they'd need to answer. They asked each other questions and answered them, decided who should answer which questions and went over the story several times to make sure they could tell it without the details they didn't want to or need to tell the press. Claire almost felt as if she were revising for a test, except this time she was trying to tell a story without certain details.

After close to three hours Owen decided that they had done enough and needed to go to sleep.

"I'm not sure I've got it all, I want to go over it a few more times." She said, nervously looking through the papers she'd made with notes.

"Claire, we need to get sleep if we want to be able to remember any of this tomorrow. You're exhausted and so am I."

She tried to protest but was stopped by a yawn. She took a deep breath and her whole body slumped against the headboard. Her limbs felt like lead and she felt emotionally drained. It had taken a lot out of her to talk about the events that had happened on Isla Nublar only a little over a day ago. It had slowly gotten easier to talk about it but she continued to block out certain parts in her mind. She didn't need to talk about how she'd seen people flying through the air, hanging from the claws of Pteranodon's or how she'd been standing on a hill, watching Simon Masrani crash a helicopter into the aviary. Neither did she have to tell anyone about the moment that she finally realised that these dinosaurs are in fact living animals, about how she'd cried next to a dying Apatosaurus.

Owen put a hand on her arm, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Come on, let's get changed. We can go over it again tomorrow on the way to Portland."

She nodded but made no move to get up, content to fall asleep sitting uncomfortably against the headboard, still fully clothed. After several seconds Owen climbed over her legs to half get off the bed. He pulled her into a gentle hug with one knee still on the bed and his other foot on the floor. She lazily wrapped her arms around his shoulders, taking a deep breath and taking in his scent. He then pulled her tightly against him and pulled her up and off of the bed. She allowed him to manoeuvre her towards the chair in the corner of the room where Karen had laid down some nightclothes for them.

Claire felt sluggish but still she could feel her skin tingling underneath her clothes as Owens hand brushed over her lower back as he grabbed his clothes and moved into the bathroom. She changed and they both brushed their teeth in silence before getting in bed. She looked him in the eye before lying down on her side with her back towards him, hoping he'd take the hint. She let out a content little sigh as she felt him move up behind her and his arm wrapped around her. They were both asleep in seconds.

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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please don't forget to follow and review!


	7. Chapter 7

Heya guys!

This time I bring you a slightly longer chapter. The writing style is a bit different (I wanted to move things along a bit), I hope you guys don't mind. I've made some changes after some helpful readers gave me information on the legal issues involving a disaster as happened in Jurassic World.

I'd like to mention that this film is the first of the Jurassic series that I've seen, therefore I don't know anything about the background or previous characters. I know, I know! I'm going to watch them soon!

Please let me know what you think about this story, even if it's just that you're enjoying it or that you have something that you'd like to see happen.

Enjoy!

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Claire awoke slowly because of someone whispering her name. When she opened her eyes she saw Karen standing in the door opening, still in her nightshirt, with a phone in her hand.

"Claire, I just got a call from someone at Masrani Corp. It was about the press conference. "

The moment she heard Karen say Masrani Corporation she was wide awake. The tension from last night was back immediately and she felt Owen's arm tighten around her in an unconscious response. She shook his arm slightly and looked around, squinting and trying to find a clock.

"What time is it?" She asked Karen when she couldn't find one.

"7 am" came the mumbled reply from Owen behind her.

She turned on her back so she could look at him, surprised at how quickly he'd woken up. The moment he could see her face his expression became worried.

"What's going on?" 

Five minutes later the three of them sat in the living room while Claire was on the phone with Masrani Corp. When she finally hung up she took a deep breath before replying to Owen and Karen's unspoken questions.

"There was some mistake and we're not supposed to go to the press conference. They don't want us to talk about anything that happened to anyone and we're ordered to fly to Seattle in three hours to speak to Masrani Corp's lawyers."

She felt knots forming in her stomach as she watched Owen and Karen process this change of events. Her eyes found Owen's and everything around them seemed to disappear for a moment. He had an intense look on his face which she'd seen there often since all hell broke loose. It was a dark contrast to his jovial, joking self that she'd gotten to know over the past months. He'd changed over the last few days, just like she had. Their eye contact was broken as Scott walked into the room with coffee.

They drank their coffee in silence. Claire tried not to fidget as a million thoughts ran through her head. They had to fly to Seattle, luckily the company had made sure they had seats on a flight and had e-mailed them the necessary temporary documents, as neither of them had their passports. Money was the next problem, she'd have to ask Karen if she could borrow some money until she had a new debit card.

"Karen, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Sure"

She made eye contact with Owen for a moment before getting up and going into the kitchen with Karen, grimacing slightly as she put too much weight on her injured ankle. She could feel Owen's eyes following her out of the room and tried to focus on what she was about to do. She felt ashamed and onerous asking her sister for money. She had always worked hard and been determined to be independent. When she stepped into the kitchen and turned around to face Karen she was shocked to see her hold out a debit card to her.

"Here, you guys take this. It's my personal debit card. I hardly ever use it so there's only about $1.500 on there."

Claire could only stand there and gape at her sister.

"The PIN code is 2396. Just let me know if you need any more before you've got your own card again and I'll transfer some money onto it."

Karen acted so casual, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to give someone else your debit card, that Claire couldn't stop the tears that appeared in her eyes. She carefully took the card from Karen and hugged her, trying to convey her gratitude.

"Thank you so much Karen." She spoke into her sister's hair.

Karen held her at arm's length as they got out of the hug, smiling at her.

"That's what family is for, now you and your man should go get ready." She said with a smirk on her face.

"Karen!" Claire exclaimed, blushing.

"Oh come on! I found you two wrapped around each other in bed this morning!"

"It's not like that."

"I know sweetie. I'm glad you've got each other to get through this. He seems like a good guy." Karen told her, her tone turning serious and sincere.

She gave Claire another quick hug before walking towards the door.

"I'll wake the boys." Claire heard her say as she walked away.

She'd missed her sister and the fun moments they had. She also felt sorry for Karen that she was losing Scott and that she wouldn't have him to get through this like she'd have Owen. _From now on I'm going to appreciate my family more and spend more time with them_ she vowed to herself before joining Owen and Scott in the living room. 

A couple of hours later found them sitting on a plane from LA to Seattle. They'd gotten ready as quickly as possible to have some extra time at the airport to get a phone and some nice clothes. She'd found a decent skirt and blouse while all they could find Owen was an ill-fitting suit. The jacket was so small for him that he'd have to forgo it altogether and just go in his trousers and blouse.

Before leaving Karen had printed their temporary documents. They'd promised Zach and Gray that they'd be back soon as they said their goodbyes. Gray had been tearful and Zach had said they'd skype them the next day on Claire's new phone. Claire felt weird and uneasy parting from her nephews. She felt a fierce protectiveness towards them and worried about leaving them so soon with people who didn't really understand what they'd been through. Owen noticed her thoughtful look and touched her arm to get her attention.

"Worried about Zach and Gray?" He asked her gently. She nodded.

"Zach will take care of Gray, we can skype them whenever we want and we'll be back soon."

She nodded again, focussing on his voice and taking in his features, letting him calm her. She tried pushing the thoughts of her nephews to the back of her mind as well as the thoughts about the upcoming meeting at Masrani Corp. She knew she could talk about what happened, or some of it, to Owen. However, she had no idea how she'd handle going into detail about it to someone else. She was almost surprised that she wasn't more worried about the repercussions for herself. Her job or reputation didn't matter nearly as much as they used to, now life had taken on a new perspective. Owen again broke her out of her thoughts.

"Stop" he said softly, giving her a stern look followed by a soft smile.

"We've got about two hours to get some more sleep." He said before gently taking a hold of her hand and laying his head against the headrest. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb whilst looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to lie back as well. She did and drifted off in a matter of minutes, comforted by the feel of his thumb stroking her hand. 

Claire gasped, launching herself forwards in her chair. _We need more teeth!_ echoed through her head, together with the thundering footsteps of the T-rex running after her. She could feel the ground shaking underneath her feet, making the remnants of her nightmare all the more real. She jumped as she felt a big hand on her back. When she looked to the side she saw Owen looking at her concernedly. She let out a deep breath, relaxing underneath his touch. They were silent for a minute before she spoke.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"Yes, but that's nothing to be sorry for." He told her gently.

She nodded, heart still racing too much to reply. Instead she focussed on his hand that was now stroking up and down her back. It was warm and comforting and she leant more and more forward as she slowly relaxed.

"Where did you grow up?"

His question threw her completely off guard. She sat up, his hand leaving her back and looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"We lived in Los Angeles until I was 10, then we moved to Greenwich." She answered him, still unsure of where this was going.

"Who was your best friend growing up?" He asked her.

She thought back and smiled slightly, then, she started to talk. 

It was almost three o'clock when they arrived at Masrani Corporations. They met with two lawyers and spent until six o'clock being interviewed by them. They answered all kinds of questions about their roles in the company, their motivations for working for the park and all that led up to and happened on the day the Indomnious escaped. Claire kept strong and professional all through the interviews, only faltering slightly twice; when they asked her about Zara and when they asked her about her nephews and their involvement in the whole event.

Owen was there for her throughout, making eye contact with her every once in a while and grabbing her hand when they talked about Zach and Gray. She admired his calmness throughout the interviews and noticed that where she fell back on her professionalism he seemed to sit at attention and answer in short, clear and to the point answers, as if he were back in the navy. _I guess we both fall back on what we know._

When they were done with the lawyers they were informed by some representative of the company that they were expected to be back tomorrow at twelve to hear more about the repercussions of their actions.

When they finally got out of the Masrani Corp. building both were exhausted. Claire's ankle throbbed because of the amount that she'd had to walk that day and she didn't feel as if she could go any further.

"Come on, let's go to that café over there." Owen said, pointing to a small café across the street.

He guided her across the street, allowing her to put some of her weight on him whilst also carrying a bag with the few belongings they had. He managed to open the door to the café without letting go of her and guided her inside and to the nearest table. A waitress came hurrying over immediately.

"Are you alright Miss?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Claire replied tiredly.

It was clear that she was lying but the waitress didn't ask again, instead asking what they'd like to drink. They both ordered a coffee.

"Can I get you something else?" She tried hesitantly, looking at Owen more than Claire.

"Two aspirin and some ice if you could, please." Owen told her.

When the waitress left Claire looked at him slightly annoyed.

"I'm old enough to speak for myself." She said testily.

"I know, but we've had a long day and I want to take care of you."

His sincerity silenced her. She felt bad immediately and felt like crying a moment later. She looked away from him, biting her lip and trying to get herself under control as tears formed in her eyes. _Why am I so damn emotional all of a sudden?_

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." She told him.

She searched for the words to thank him and he stayed silent, waiting for her.

"Thank you so much for helping me. You really helped me get through everything today."

That was all she could come up with. She'd never struggled for words, always been professional and she'd always had a reply ready. Now, with him, there was no preparation or logic; just the way she felt at that moment. And she did not know how to put her feelings into words. He took her hand in his.

"You're welcome and thank you too."

"But I didn't do anything." She answered, perplexed.

"You do help, just having you here helps." He surprised her once again with his words. She felt warmth spread through her body, starting where his hand touched hers. She felt good that in some way she could help him too, that her mere presence comforted him as his comforted her.

"I've found us a place to stay." He told her, a note of nervousness in his voice that she had never heard before. She silently asked him to continue.

"I grew up about an hour from here in a small village. My parents still live there and I called them this morning to say that we might stay with them tonight."

She was speechless. First of all, she hadn't even thought about where they were going to go after the café. Second of all, he just asked her to meet his parents and even though it was probably safe to say that they were _together_ , they didn't know each other that well yet and what if they decided this wasn't going to work in a couple of days or weeks? He stroked his thumb over her hand again.

"Claire, I'd like for you to come stay at my parents' house."

She was so tired, and when she thought about it she found that she actually wanted to meet the people that raised him and see where he grew up.

"Okay" she breathed.

"I'll go call us a taxi." He said squeezing her hand before letting go and fishing the new phone out of their bag. He got up and walked out of the café while dialling his parents' number. 

They finished their coffee and paid just as their taxi arrived and they got in to drive to Owen's parents' house. Owen stifled a yawn beside her which prompted a yawn from her as well. Her eyes kept closing involuntarily and she tried stubbornly to keep them open. Owen wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side. Her body relaxed into him but her mind was still trying to stay awake.

"I want to see where you used to live." She protested slightly.

"There's plenty of time for that later." He told her softly.

"Sleep."

She finally gave in and rested her head on his shoulder, falling asleep in seconds. 

When he woke her up they were driving through a small village, they then crossed over a river and she could see beautiful mountains on their left side, the sun disappearing slowly behind them. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, feeling a little better than when she did before her nap. She looked up at Owen and found him smiling at her.

"Hi" she smiled back up at him.

"Hi, sleep well?"

She nodded. "Where are we?"

"We're almost in Gold Bar, which is where I grew up." He told her.

She noticed that he seemed excited and she in turn felt her own excitement bubbling up in her. As she looked out the window she found that she wasn't surprised at all that he had grown up here. It seemed like him, she could imagine him driving around here in his first car and going fishing.

"When was the last time you went home?" She asked him, studying his face as he took in his surroundings.

"I haven't been here since the girls were born. Christmas of 2012 was the last time."

"Are you close to your parents?" She asked him, suddenly realising how little she knew about his life outside of Jurassic World. He nodded.

"I am. I don't speak to them often, they're used to me being away for long periods of time but when we speak or see each other it's always nice."

He pointed out places and people for the remainder of the ride, telling her story's to go with them. It was nice, she thought as she watched him tell her about the place where he grew up to see him excited about something as simple as going home. She'd never taken time to appreciate things like that, things that really matter. She'd always thought of going home as an obligation and an unpleasant one at that. She was realising more and more how much she'd missed out on by focussing solely on her career.

They drove through the town of Gold Bar and Owen directed the driver to an old log house. Claire had always thought there were just log cabins, not houses but seeing this one now she couldn't deny that it had a certain charm about it. It looked rustic but strong and also cosy all at the same time. She felt herself smile while looking at the house but felt nervous again as she saw the front door opening. She sat up straight and flattened her hair which had become ruffled from lying on Owen's shoulder. Owen grabbed her hand.

"Relax, you'll be fine." He said squeezing her hand slightly before asking the driver to go all the way up the long driveway to the house so Claire wouldn't have to walk that far. She breathed deeply as the car stopped, telling herself to calm down. She paid the driver while Owen got out with their bag. She heard him call out a greeting to his parents who were almost at the car. When she got out he was by her side immediately, putting an arm around her and guiding her the few steps towards his parents.

Her first impression was that Owen looked a lot like his father and that he must be a hardworking man. He looked rough and hardened by tough physical work but he had a kind face with a lot of laughter lines. His mother looked much younger than her husband, she also had a kind face and Claire couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. They both looked like they'd been very worried and were now relieved to see their son, both sporting matching big grins on their faces.

Owen released her and stepped forward, grabbing both his parents in a bear hug. Claire smiled at the reunion. When Owen released his parents he put his hand on her lower back.

"Mum, dad, this is Claire."

Claire went to give Owen's mum a hand but she stepped forward and pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm Kathleen, but you can call me Kathy. Thank you so much for looking out for our son!"

Claire wanted to respond but before she could she was released from Kathy's hold and shaking his father's hand.

"I'm Daniel, but call me Dan. Thank you."

"It's nice to meet both of you." Claire replied, overwhelmed. "But I didn't do much, he looked out for me."

"Nonsense" Kathy told her "he told us that you've saved his life several times."

Claire thought about that and remembered how she'd saved him by shooting a pteranodon and she shuddered at the memory.

"Let's all get inside, dinner's almost ready. I've made your favourite!" Kathy told them, squeezing Owen's arm before going inside. Dan took the bag from Owen and the three of them followed her. Claire liked Owen's parents already and smiled up at him as they made their way inside.

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Please let me know what you think about this story, even if it's just that you're enjoying it or that you have something that you'd like to see happen. Reviews make me write faster! :D

Ps: What do you guys think Owen's favorite meal would be?


	8. Chapter 8

Hello! I'm so sorry that it took me this long to update. My summer's been really hectic and to be honest I'm kind of losing inspiration for this story. I'm hoping to get some new inspiration soon or some great ideas from you guys! I'm not completely happy with this chapter but I really wanted to post something to at least move forward.

 _EchelonTheory:_ Thank you for your continued support!

 _JARAT:_ Thank you very much for your review, I'm trying to develop a mature writing style and it's nice to hear that it's appreciated.

Thank you to everyone who's still sticking with me on this story! You guys are amazing.

I haven't had any more news on how to realistically deal with the aftermath of the JW disaster. Therefore I'm just making stuff up as I go along, I apologise if it's not realistic.

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Claire and Owen walked through the front door, straight into a big kitchen. Delicious smells were the first thing to greet them and Claire realised how hungry she actually was. Owen's stomach grumbled. Claire looked around the kitchen, trying to take in every little detail. The kitchen counter went along three sides of the room and there was a big oak table in the middle with six chairs around it. Kathleen was hurrying around the kitchen chopping up herbs and getting out plates and cutlery. The kitchen was full of utensils and pots and pans which made it look cosy and lived in without making it look cluttered. The open kitchen led into a living room on the left from which golden light streamed into the kitchen. Claire felt warmth spread through her at the sight. The kitchen and its inhabitants alone making her feel at home, something she realised she hadn't truly felt in a long time. She looked up at Owen, who'd been studying her face as she looked around the room. He gave her a tired but happy smile. They both looked up as Daniel appeared in the kitchen.

"Why don't you two get settled. I've already put your bag in your room." He said.

Owen nodded and led Claire towards the living room.

"Thank you" she said to Dan as they passed him, giving him a grateful smile.

"Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes!" Kathleen called after them. 

The living room had the same cosy feel as the kitchen and was completely filled with the golden light Claire had noticed earlier which she could now see came from a big fireplace. Owen steered her towards a spiral staircase and he helped her slowly get up the stairs. The throb in her ankle was becoming too strong to ignore and she was glad for his support. Owen opened the first door on the left which led into a medium sized bedroom with a nicely made double bed and a big window with a beautiful view of the mountains. There was a vase with a bouquet of wild flowers on the nightstand. Claire hopped over to the bed and sat down, admiring the flowers.

"This is my old room, which now also doubles as a guest room since I'm hardly ever here." Owen told her as he opened the closet and got out two pairs of sweatpants and two old navy t-shirts. He put them down on the bed and flopped down beside her, bouncing slightly on the mattress and laying back. She let herself fall backwards, joining him. They lay in silence, both looking at the ceiling and letting their sore bodies relax. Claire closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Feeling at ease and relaxed for the first time in days. Her body felt heavy but her mind seemed somehow lighter as she focused on her even breathing and on the solid warmth of Owen beside her. After what felt like hours but was only minutes she took a deep breath and forced her body upright. Dinner must almost be ready and she didn't want to make Owen's parents wait. She wanted to be polite and make a good impression.

"Come on, we should get changed." She said, lightly slapping Owen on the leg.

He groaned in response before lifting his arms over his head and stretching. Claire could hear a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like fabric ripping.

"Careful!" She said loudly.

He stopped, mid-stretch in response and his eyes flew open, finding hers. He looked at her with wide eyes before slowly relaxing his muscles and sitting up.

"Take them off!" She said, standing up and motioning with her hand to his clothes.

His eyebrows rose up his forehead and a cheeky grin appeared on his face. He started unbuttoning his blouse and then stood up, unzipping his trousers.

"Allllrrrright" he teased "I know I'm irresistible but that"

"You ripped something." She said in a chastising tone, interrupting him.

His face would've made her laugh if she wasn't so worried about his clothes. He handed her his blouse and then took of his trousers putting them on the bed. She looked over all the seams but couldn't find anything that was broken. She sat back on the bed, letting out a sigh of relief. That's when she noticed Owen standing in front of her in just his boxers, looking at her with an amused expression on his face. The realisation of what she'd just done dawned on her and she blushed slightly, trying not to look below Owens waist, focussing resolutely on his face. This didn't help though as he was clearly comfortable in his boxers and thoroughly amused by how flustered she was. Her blush intensified and she looked away, trying to focus on the clothes he'd laid out on the bed.

"What's wrong Claire? Am I making you uncomfortable?" He said, the grin on his face growing.

"No!" She replied, never one to give in or back away from a challenge.

Before she knew what was happening his arms came around her and his weight caused them both to fall back on the bed. He landed half on top of her and began to tickle her sides. Claire squirmed beneath him, trying to slap his hands away as she was overcome by giggles. They struggled for a while until Claire accidentally grazed his left kneecap. He jolted in response and Claire seized her chance, immediately attacking his kneecaps. He made a noise somewhere between a squeal and a scream, his expression changing from one of glee to panic, and released her. His hands shot down and gripped her wrists tightly. She stopped tickling and grinned at him.

"Do you surrender?"

When he didn't reply immediately she started tickling again and he screamed out "Yeeeess! Yes I surrender!"

She stopped tickling him again and watched him as he breathed in and out deeply, keeping his eyes closed. When his breathing had calmed down he opened his eyes and looked at her with a happy and awe-struck expression. She lifted one of her eyebrows as she asked him why he was smiling.

"You giggled." He replied in an almost childishly gleeful tone.

Her first response was to feel ashamed but when she looked at Owen's happy face she couldn't stop a smile from appearing on her own. His expression turned tender and he brought up both her hands towards his face. She held her breath as he slowly kissed the back of both her hands, not once breaking eye contact.

"Come on, we should go down for dinner." He said, getting up.

She let him pull her up into a sitting position and accepted the clothes that he gave her, putting them on. 

When they were both ready he helped her down the stairs and into the kitchen where Daniel was sitting at the table and Kathleen was putting the food down. When she sat down Daniel shoved a box along the table towards her and Owen.

"I figured you could use these."

Claire looked at it questioningly but Owen seemed to understand as he opened it and rumbled around in it a bit before taking out a pressure bandage and two ibuprofen pills. He then got up and got an ice-pack out of the fridge and wrapped it in a dishcloth.

"Owen" she mumbled, embarrassed.

"It's alright dear, no need to be embarrassed. We've seen our fair share of injuries in this house with Owen always causing trouble growing up." Kathleen said, putting a big stone baking dish on the table.

Claire smiled at that titbit of information about Owen as he put the cold cloth around her ankle and sat down in the chair beside her, propping her leg up behind him as he had done in the restaurant. The slightly intimate position made her a little uncomfortable in front of Owen's parents. Kathleen sat down and pointed out the different foods on the table, telling her what they were. Apparently Owen's favourite was the deer pie which did look delicious. It all smelled delicious too and Claire tried not to think about bambi as she looked at the pie.

"It looks and smells delicious Kath, thank you." Claire said, putting on a charming smile and trying to lead the conversation, to get back to her familiar professionalism.

"Did you catch the deer yourself?" She asked Dan, he told her he had and then launched into a story about the first time he took Owen out hunting. Conversation flowed freely and Claire found herself relaxing and smiling as she observed the small family interacting. She thought of Karen and the boys and how much she missed them already. Her mood turned sombre and she tried to focus on the conversation around her but found that she couldn't.

She jumped slightly as she felt Owen's hand on her leg. He was still talking to his parents as he put her leg on his lap and removed the cloth, just as he had at the restaurant, and started massaging her ankle. She could see him glance at her from the corner of his eye and she gave him a grateful smile. She realised that he knew exactly what he was doing and she was thankful that he hadn't brought his parents attention to her zoning out. She tuned back into the conversation just in time to hear about the time Owen had caught a trout as long as his forearm. 

When they'd finished dinner Owen handed her the pills and she took them without question. She then quickly tried to help Kath as she started piling the plates. She couldn't move very well with her ankle still in Owen's lap so she pulled back her leg and tried to stand up.

"Claire, I'll do it. You should rest your ankle." Owen said, putting his hand on her shoulder and getting up to help Kathleen.

"No, you're not doing anything. You're both tired so sit and wait for your pudding." Kath told them, sending Owen back to his seat. He protested slightly, telling her he wanted to help.

"If you want to help you can go food shopping tomorrow."

Owen looked over at Claire for a moment. "We haven't got time tomorrow. We have to be back at Masrani Corp at twelve."

"We can go early." Claire said quickly as she saw Kath's face fall.

"We'll have to leave here at ten thirty at the latest and going food shopping will take a while since I haven't been here for over two years. People will want to ask how it's going. Besides, we have to skype the boys tomorrow."

Kath recovered quickly. "It's okay, you can go shopping some other day."

"We've had people over all day today and yesterday, asking about you because they'd seen the news. We told them you might be coming and that you two were okay." Dan told them.

Claire was confused, how would the people here know about her? One look at Owen told her that he'd picked up on the same thing.

"How do people know about Claire?" He asked his parents, his voice tense.

It looked like this question was one that both Kath and Dan had been dreading.

"You haven't watched the news?" Kath asked them.

"No. Why? Have they been talking about us?" Claire asked, now panicking slightly. She'd managed to keep the whole Indomnious disaster from her mind ever since they'd arrived at the house and now the weight of what had happened seemed to fall back on her once again.

"The whole thing was all over the news, when they'd evacuated most people they went through the people that they knew were still on the island and they talked about you two quite a lot. Then some unknown source told the news that apparently you two took on the Indomnious and killed it. They've been speculating about that and about you two. This morning some video's and pictures appeared on the internet of people that were on the island when it happened. There's footage of you two running around together with pteranodon's flying all over the place." Dan told them, now looking grave.

"We've been so worried!" Kath cried out, running over to Owen and hugging him tightly. When she released him she wiped away her tears and went over to Claire who stood up so she could hug her too.

"Why don't you two go sit by the fire and I'll bring the pudding out there. They went without protest, still trying to process what they'd just heard. Claire suddenly felt tired and cold and welcomed the warmth of the fire as she lowered down on a comfy sofa. Owen sat on the coffee table in front of her and took her ankle into his lap.

"Tell me when it's too tight okay?" He asked her and she nodded.

She looked at his hands, hypnotised, as he wrapped the pressure bandage around it. She could only feel a dull throb in her ankle but paid no attention to it. She felt numb and took her plate with apple crumble with a soft 'thank you', not really tasting it. She could vaguely hear Owen asking his parents if they could take the car tomorrow and telling them about their meeting at Masrani Corp. today.

Before she knew what was happening Kath and Dan had bade them goodnight and gone upstairs. She looked at Owen as he got up, put a big pillow in front of the fire and sat down. He looked at her, opening his arms invitingly. She went to him willingly, getting on the floor and crawling to him. She sat in between his legs and melted into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

They sat in silence, feeling the burn of the heat from the fire on their skin and embracing it, letting the warmth wash over them. Claire stared into the fire, following the shapes of the flames with her eyes and listening to the crackling of the fire. They sat still like that for close to an hour before Owen broke the silence.

"We knew it was going to get a lot of attention from the media. I just hadn't thought that they'd be interested in us personally."

"I'm not surprised but tried not to think about it. Masrani Corp. will try and put us in a good light though. They can't afford to blame us because it will damage Masrani's image. I'm guessing that they'll try and put all of the blame on Wu and InGen."

"So what do you think will happen tomorrow?" Owen asked her, his expression serious.

"I think they'll ask some more questions about what happened to make sure that they've got a clear view of everything that happened and they can figure out how they're going to blame InGen for everything. I'm pretty sure that they are going to fire me. They probably want you to help with the animals though."

"What! They can't fire you. You saved us all!" Owen told her fiercely.

Claire stayed silent, staring back into the fire. She shrugged.

"I made some wrong decisions and I've seen too much. They'll want someone who's loyal to the company and they assume that I am not anymore." She explained, looking up at him as she finished.

They looked at each other, searching each other's eyes.

"Are you?" He asked her softly.

She slowly shook her head. "I've changed, we've changed."

She turned further in his arms and caressed the side of his face with her hand, concentrating on his features and taking in every little detail.

"You've helped me open my eyes." _In more ways than one,_ she thought. "Thank you."

She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She felt him press a kiss on her hair and let the warmth from his arms around her and the crackling fire lull her to sleep.

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I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Please let me know whether or not you're still enjoying the story and what you would like to see happen.


	9. Chapter 9

**First of all I'd like to apologise for making you all wait this long for an update. Life has been chaotic to say the least. I started this chapter on the train to and from Paris on Saturday, the day after the attacks. I was supposed to be in Paris the night of the attacks and some friends of mine who live in Paris only missed the attacks by minutes. I think events like these have a way of putting everything back in perspective. They make us remember what is most important in life and makes us more in tune with our feelings and instincts.**

 **Writing again gave me an escape and was a way to be active and creative. I found it easier to write this chapter because I now find it easier to imagine the feelings and emotions going through everyone in this story (not that I am comparing JW to the Paris attacks in any way).**

 **I will try and update more regularly from now on. The chapters might be a bit shorter but that will make it easier for me to update more.**

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The sound of chirping birds was the first thing to register in her mind as she slowly woke up. She registered more and more sounds around her. There was someone moving around in the kitchen downstairs and she both felt and heard Owen's steady, deep breathing behind her. She felt calm but she was still aware of the dark, heavy feeling in the back of her mind. She ignored it and lay still a while longer before stretching. She winched at the pain of sore muscles and her aching ankle. Relaxing again, she gently turned around, coming face to face with Owen.

He looked relaxed, his face devoid of any lines. He looked younger in his sleep and this made her realise how much he must have been through. It was easy to forget that he'd been in the navy when he was joking around and trying to get under her skin. He could switch from his goofy persona to dead serious in a matter of seconds. For the first time since she'd met him she realised how good he was at putting his feelings aside and putting on an act. Even when he was joking around there was an underlying feeling of strength and control radiating off of him that she hadn't really ever noticed before but could now, thinking back, easily see.

She was so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed that he'd woken up and his voice startled her as he spoke.

"What are you thinking about?" he said softly, voice still rough from sleep.

"You" she told him, frowning.

"Oh oh, what've I done wrong? You look really serious." His voice was light but she thought he sounded slightly nervous.

"I was thinking about how you always take care of others, and of how you put aside your own feelings when you do."

He was silent for a while, looking her in the eye. She could see him think and waited for him to talk.

"I always want to take care of others before myself, that's part of the reason why I joined the navy. When I became a lieutenant I had people under me to take care of. We saw some horrible things over there and sometimes the fact that people needed me was the only thing that kept me going. It's easier to take care of someone else than to try and take care of myself."

She nodded and took a moment to absorb his words before taking his hands in hers.

"Please promise me one thing?"

He looked at her expectantly.

"Let me know if things become too much. I want to be there for you and take care of you if I can" she squeezed his hands "I care about you."

His answering smile made a genuine smile appear on her own face.

"Thank you. I promise." She closed her eyes as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

An hour later they were sitting at the table in the kitchen again, having breakfast with Kathy and Dan. Claire found it slightly easier to join in with the conversation than the night before and enjoyed the friendly, family atmosphere, though there was a slight underlying tension. She tried not to think too much about the upcoming meeting and instead focussed on the conversation.

They'd finished breakfast and had started to clean up when Claire got a message from Zach saying he and Gray would be on skype in a couple of minutes. Kathy shooed them away to the living room where they sat on the sofa and quickly started skype. Claire sat fidgeting, waiting for them to come online.

Owen, who sat next to her put his arm around her shoulder, calming her down without saying a word. As soon as they came online Claire tried calling them but it took several minutes for them to connect as they kept trying to call each other at the same time. Claire wasn't expecting the relief that washed over her the moment she saw their faces on the small phone screen. Both boys were obviously excited to see them as they called out her and Owen's names as soon as the camera's turned on. From the massive grin on Owen's face, he was just as excited as they were.

They chatted for about half an hour before they had to say goodbye and get ready for their meeting. The boys made them promise to skype again tonight to tell them how it'd gone. They got ready quickly and before she knew it Owen was supporting her on the walk from where they parked the car, they had to park a couple of blocks away, to the Masrani Corp. building. She accepted his help gladly as she already felt exhausted and her ankle hurt but as soon as they got close to the entrance doors she stepped away from him and insisted on him letting her walk on her own. They were a bit early bit didn't have to wait long before Claire was called to a meeting and Owen was told to wait. They had expected this but that did not make it any easier.

Claire was surprised to feel uncomfortable and out of place in the meeting. She had always felt comfortable and confident in the business world, that's why she was one of the best. But she didn't feel anything like that now. She felt skittish and nervous without Owen but tried her best to keep her head clear. She answered all their questions honestly, without thinking about the politics or the consequences, just wanting it to be over. When they were finished she was told to send in Owen and wait outside until they were done.

Waiting made her even more nervous and for the first time since she could remember she craved human contact, having someone to talk to, someone to be there with her. Her mind immediately went to Owen and she fidgeted, waiting for him to come back out but knowing that his meeting could take over an hour too. That's when she suddenly thought of Karen. She quickly whatsapped her, hoping that she would be online. She sighed in relief when she got a reply in under a minute and she spent the rest of the time that she had to wait talking to Karen. She asked her how the boys were doing and they soon moved on to unimportant and easy chitchat. It helped her take her mind of things and she found that she really enjoyed talking to her sister.

Owen had been gone for almost two hours when Claire was surprised by Lowery. He came walking her way and she was so happy to have company and to see him that she jumped up to give him a big hug. He seemed a bit surprised but didn't hesitate in hugging her back. They sat down together and chatted for a little bit. Lowery had a meeting at half past three and had had a meeting yesterday as well. They discussed what they thought might happen to the company now and he told her that he would want to go back if they sent a team over to Jurassic World to secure the island.

At exactly half past three the door to the meeting room opened and Owen walked out, his face tense. However, as soon as he locked eyes with Claire he let out a deep breath and smiled at her. He walked over to them and shook hands with Lowery.

"Hey, I was told to send you in."

Lowery got pen and paper out of his bag and wrote something on it before giving it to Claire.

"This is my phone number, let me know what you guys are doing and if you get any news."

Owen waited until Lowery was out of the hallway before grabbing Claire's hands in his and pulling her up to her feet.

"Come on, we've got to be back here at six, let's go get some dinner while we wait."

Owen waited until they were out of the building to put his arm around Claire's shoulders, helping to support her.

"Thank you" she said, smiling up at him for a moment.

"You're very welcome" he replied with a smile of his own.

Claire felt a nice warm feeling go through her at their exchange and focussed on the feeling of his arm around her. They made slow progress because of Claire and by the time they arrived at the café, where they had been the day before, she felt ready to collapse. Owen supported her until she was seated at a table in a quiet corner of the café. They were greeted by the same waitress as the day before and ordered their drinks.

"So tell me what happened at your meeting. Did you talk to them about Blue?" Claire asked him as soon as the waitress had left.

"First they wanted me to tell the whole story of what happened again. They asked me what I knew about the Indomnious itself and the project. They wanted to know what I thought about you, Masrani and Hoskins and how you all handled the incident." He sighed, looking serious and worried.

"They wanted my opinion on the situation with the animals, on what they should and could do with them and whether or not I would help out if there'd be some sort of clean-up operation. I told them that I'd have to think about joining the operation but that I at least want to go make sure that Blue is okay. As for the rest of the animals, I think that they're either going to try and sell the island, including the animals, or try and secure it and let everything go wild and take care of itself. Animal welfare organisations are probably already freaking out over what happened, I'm sure they wouldn't just let them close off the island and wait for all the animals to kill each other."

Claire was silent as he told her what had happened and his thoughts on the situation. Just as she was about to respond the waitress arrived with their drinks and menu's. When she left Claire looked down at her teacup and the two aspirin laying on the saucer before lifting up her eyebrows and looking at Owen. He snorted before going back to reading his menu. After they had both ordered their food and her green tea had cooled down enough to drink she took the aspirin without complaint.

"What happened in your meeting?"

"They wanted to hear the whole story again from me as well. I explained all the decisions I made." she swallowed, trying to make the guilt she felt disappear. Owen took one of her hands in his and squeezed it gently.

"They wanted to know everything about the Indomnious project from me too and they wanted to know why I didn't try to stop it."

"What?!" Owen all but shouted, throwing his hands up "How dare they! The indomnious wasn't your fault."

"I know Owen" she said, now grabbing his hands and holding them on the table. "I know, and I told them that."

He raised one eyebrow, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"I should have handled the situation differently when the indomnious escaped but I had no influence in creating it. I worked on getting sponsors for the project, so technically I did have influence indirectly but I didn't design it and I wasn't the one who requested or approved it." She squeezed his hands and smiled at his now stunned expression. "And I told them that. After that they wanted to know what I thought about the future of the company and what should happen to Jurassic World. They asked me about a possible clean-up operation too. They want me to organise it if it happens."

Owen frowned at that. "Will you?"

"That depends. I don't want to. Honestly, I'd like nothing better than to get as far away from anything Masrani Corp. related as possible. But I'm going with you to that island and if organising the whole operation is the only way they'll let me then that is what I'll do."

She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She wanted to prove to him and show him that she meant what she had said that morning, that she wanted to take care of him as much as he did her. However, she was afraid that she'd said too much too soon.

Owen was still for a moment, looking at her intently. When he spoke he spoke with an intensity that took her breath away and he seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

"Claire, I really appreciate that you'd do that to be able to come with me but organising a clean-up operation is a massive job which would take months, possibly even all year. That's a huge commitment to the job and I wouldn't want you to do anything that makes you unhappy. There must be something else that you can do over there or we'll find another way for you to come over."

"But Owen, what if they won't let me come when I don't organise it?" She asked him desperately.

"We don't even know what they are going to do. I might only have to go there for a couple of days. Maybe then you could just stay with Karen en Scott, then at least you would be safe."

"Definitely not! I said I would go with you and I meant it. Do you honestly think you'll only be there for a couple of days? We might not even be able to locate Blue with her chip and even then it could take days to get to her with all the animals roaming around free."

Claire wondered why they were suddenly having this heated discussion. Owen was about to reply when the waitress came hurrying over to them.

"I'm really sorry but I just found out that one of my staff posted a picture of the two of you online, it's already been reposted several times and I guess it won't be long before paparazzi start showing up."

Owen just blinked at her, as if not comprehending what she was saying. Claire sat stunned for a moment before getting up and grabbed their bag.

"Come on, we have to get to the office quickly before they get here." She pulled on Owen's hand when he didn't get up immediately.

The waitress quickly led them through the café and held the door open for them. "If you're going to Masrani Corp. shall I bring you your food there?"

Claire looked back at her, she looked both angry, worried and very sorry. It was obvious she hadn't meant for this to happen and wanted to help them.

"Yes please!" She managed to call back as Owen tried to lead her back to Masrani Corp. as quickly as possible.

He led her to a chair inside before going back to talk to the security at the entrance of the building. When he came back he sat down on the chair next to her with a heavy sigh. He sat holding his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. They were silent for a couple of moments before Claire tentatively raised her hand and placed it on his back. When he didn't object she started stroking his back and felt him relax almost immediately. After several minutes he turned his head to look at her and she gave him a gentle smile.

"I'm sorry for before." He told her, his face truly apologetic. She nodded.

"Apology accepted. Let's just talk about it later."

She looked up just in time to see the waitress from the café enter the building and one of the guards pointing in their direction.

"Let's have a nice meal before the next meeting." She said with a slight smirk.

He snorted before standing up and offering her his hand. She took it and stood up just as the waitress reached them.

"I want to apologise again, I am really sorry and I will make sure something like this doesn't happen again. The first paparazzi have just arrived and I had one of my staff tell them that you had left after you'd seen the photo on social media. I hope that they'll leave soon and they won't bother you when you get out of the building. Here is your food" she said holding open a plastic bag which contained two doggy bags "it would've looked suspicious if I would have crossed the street holding two plates of food, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, thank you for the food and your help" Claire looked at her questioningly.

"I'm Monica" Monica told them as she handed Owen the plastic bag "the food is on the house."

"Thank you Monica, I'm Claire and this is Owen." She said while shaking Monica's hand.

"Thank you" Owen said before shaking her hand too.

As Monica left Owen put his arm around her shoulder again.

"Let's go find the cafeteria, it should be on the same floor as the meeting room."

When the elevator doors closed Claire let out a sigh and looked up at Owen.

"That probably won't be the last time that happens."

"We'll handle it, one day at a time." Owen told her and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

* * *

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Personally, I'll be glad when all this legal stuff is over because I don't like writing it and I don't think that it'll be all that interesting to read. I hope you liked it anyway, please let me know if you did.


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